Bet on the NBA The third pick in the NBA draft in 2008, OJ Mayo has been suspended after testing positive for the steroid PED.

That is the same substance that led to the suspension of Rashard Lewis at the beginning of the 2009-2010 NBA season. Mayo had been drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and now plays as a guard for the Memphis Grizzlies. He has been suspended for ten games, which will have an impact on the Grizzlies' ability to score, as well as sportsbook odds for the team over the next few weeks.

Mayo released a statement that he had tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone after taking an over-the-counter supplement that contains DHEA. He told Reuters that “I had no idea that the over-the-counter supplement that I took was a substance banned by the NBA.” He also apologized to his fans, teammates, and the Memphis Grizzlies for his mistake.

Substance abuse has long been a phenomenon in Major League Basketball, even leading to some players' professional records being severely tarnished, but has not not widely reported in professional basketball. Everyone in the bodybuilding industry knows about widespread steroid use, and DHEA has been used as a muscle-building and performance-enhancing substance for years. At least one study, though, indicated that DHEA has no effect on strength, lean body mass, or testosterone hormone levels.

Mayo will be out for ten games, which will represent a significant loss for the Grizzlies. In his rookie season, Mayo was the right behind Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls in voting for the Rookie of the Year. He has played in over 40 games this season so far, averaging 12.2 points for Memphis. Lately, however, he has been relegated to a bench role behind far less talented players due to some problems he has experienced with teammates. Despite some of these problems, he has gotten better in recent games as the Grizzlies are attempting to make it to the NBA Playoffs with as high of a seed as possible.